LUST

by Steve Niles, Ben Templesmith (Illustrations), Menton3 (Illustrations)

LUST is a prose book, a comic book, and an art book all in one. The creative team explores the nature of the virtues and vices, specifically Chastity and Lust, as well as considers what it is that one may teach us about the other, concluding this exploration by meeting at the book's middle.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Horror, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

STEVE NILES is one of the writers responsible for bringing horror comics back to prominence, and was recently named by Fangoria magazine as one of it's "13 rising talents who promise to keep us terrified for the next 25 years."

Niles is currently working for the four top American comic publishers - Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse. He got his start in the industry when he formed his own publishing company called Arcane Comix, where he published, edited and adapted several comics and anthologies for Eclipse Comics. His adaptations include works by Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and Harlan Ellison.

Steve resides in Los Angeles in his bachelor pad with one cat. While there's no crawlspace, there is a questionable closet in one corner and no one is quite sure what is hidden in there...but we have an idea.

--from the author's website

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a turd. I keep reading Templesmith comics because I liked his artistic style and the first couple Wormwood issues. Unfortunately, I've either hated or been indifferent to everything else of his I've ever read. Yet I keep coming back for more. Lust is a picture book whose images barely match the weak narrative. Those images are mostly tits and ass pics. Most of the images objectify the female form regardless of what is going on in the narrative. The dialogue between two men is even accompanied by randomly naked ladies. I can't believe how many writers and artists worked on this piece of garbage.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 stars for the artwork.
1.5-2 stars for the lack of story.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork, but poor writing.

[Lady Entropy · Rating 1 out of 5]

So very much eh. The purple prose was a turn off, and the art is the only saving grace.

[Emily Blackwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful art and compelling story. Gruesome and bloody.

[Nadia Blostein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immediately mesmerized by the sensually dark artwork, I did not know what to expect from the actual storyline. However, the two intertwined narrations added to the artwork beautifully. One would not have been complete without the other. While the illustrations set a gothic, sexy and sinister mood, the mysterious narrations made the read incredibly haunting. I did not gain anything from this read from a moral point of view, and I did not interpret any specifically meaningful messages, but Lust was created to indulge in the beauty of art. It simply leaves you flabbergasted by how exquisite art that focuses mainly on moods and aesthetic can really be. I mean, the effect this graphic novel had on me was to be expected, since a collaboration between Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith (both the creators of the stunning 30 Days of Night) always promises to be perfect.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was more like a picture/art book than a graphic novel. There were no panels, but a different illustration for each page. Cheesy concept/illustrations - lots of blood splattered tits and the like. This book was trying really hard to be creepy but it was not effective.

[Reese Lightning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some gorgeous goth-y artwork all but ruined by superfluous, seemingly unrelated, ultraviolent and overly-edgy fiction prose.

[Cindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yuck